Confrontation
by LITERARYjunkie25
Summary: "Are you sure I'm the one doubting the commander? Who are you trying to convince, Wash. Me or you?"  My take on Wash's reaction to this week's episode.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first Terra Nova fic. I am in love with the BAMF pairing, so this is my take on this weeks episode. I was so mad all Wash got to do was alert Taylor to problems in the colony...anyway PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE review. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Terra Nova otherwise it would be called the "Wash and Taylor are BAMFs" show**

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><p>As a married man, Jim Shannon knew how to deal with irate and pissed off women. As a man married to Elizabeth, he also knew how to deal with irrationally pissed off women. That being said, Jim lost all of this supposed knowledge when confronted with a fiercely hostile Alicia Washington.<p>

"Shannon!"

At the sound of Tera Nova's second in command, Jim subconsciously winced, having an idea of what the cause of her anger may be.

"Yes, Lieutenant?"

Washington glared. "Don't play coy with me, Shannon. What the hell are you on about? Digging into Taylor's past? You have no right!"

Jim sighed, attempting to placate the violently protective lieutenant.

"I'm just following the evidence and the leads, Wash. That's my job. You know that."

"Bullshit. You know Taylor would never kill anybody without reason or provocation. How could you doubt him after everything he's done for the colony? For you?"

Jim noted that Wash was breathing hard and her eyes were aflame with...something. He couldn't quite identify the emotion blazing in her dark, brown eyes.

Wash was famous for the amount of protectiveness she exerted over the Commander. This amount of emotion, Jim knew, reached a completely new level. A deeper level.

In hindsight, Jim probably should have walked away, but as a bystander watching the constant dancing around Wash and Taylor did on a daily basis, it was time he stepped in to help the two potential love birds along.

That and he couldn't help riling up an angry Alicia Washington.

"Are you sure I'm the one doubting the Commander?"

Wash's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Excuse me?"

Jim stormed on, "I'm just saying, maybe you don't know the Commander as well as you think. I mean he didn't even _tell_ you about this body, this incident. Thought you guys were joined at the hip, knew everything about each other?"

Wash took a step towards Shannon threateningly. Jim wisely stepped back.

"You have no idea what you're saying. I'm sure he has an explanation. Whether he does or does not have an explanation, however, is none of your damn business. He has a reason, he does."

Jim sighed and softened his demeanor.

"Who are you trying to convince Wash? Me or you?"

Alicia looked up sharply, daring him to continue.

"Just go talk to him, Lieutenant. I'm going home, my questions have been answered, I suggest you go get some of yours answered as well."

Jim cautiously stepped back, intending to turn and head back home. Wash remained stuck in a contemplative reverie, unaware of Jim's intentions to run away.

As soon as he was sure he was dismissed, Jim hightailed it home before he had another angry woman on his hands.

Once Shannon had left, Wash stood there, thinking over his words.

"_Who are you trying to convince? Me or you?"_

And wasn't that just the root of the problem? Hadn't she taken out her hurt and frustration on the lone sheriff of Terra Nova? In the end, Alicia was hurt.

_Why_ didn't Taylor confide in her? They had been friends for ten plus years. She had followed him into war, into the trenches, into the unknown world of Terra Nova, all because he told her to do so.

Surely she had earned his trust. She had patched him up, kept him apprised of all classified missions and problems in Terra Nova. Was that not enough?

Aside from her hurt, Alicia was also scared, loathe though she was to admit it. Scared that the potential knowledge of Taylor killing a man would do nothing to assuage the feelings she had for him.

Emotions like this were a weakness in the military. And they were unacceptable to her. She was his subordinate, she was his friend. There was no room for such feelings. But still...she couldn't shake the fact that she got butterflies every time he walked into a room, that she shivered when he spoke to her, or that her anxiety spiked every time he went OTG.

Well, Shannon had one thing right, she needed to talk to Taylor. She was Lieutenant Alicia Washington, resident bad ass and faithful second in command, she could handle Nathaniel.

She needed her questions answered and her fears alleviated. She checked her watch.

_11:22 pm._

If she knew Nathaniel, and she was still pretty sure she did, he would be in his office, finishing up paperwork with the help of a little scotch.

Steeling her determination, Wash set her sights on the command center and marched towards her destination.

A short walk later found Alicia outside the Commander's office door. The light underneath and the sounds of shuffling papers confirmed Wash's assumption of Taylor's whereabouts.

Allowing herself a small smirk at the knowledge she did know _something_ about Taylor still, Alicia knocked on the door once before letting herself in to the spacious office.

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><p><strong>AN2: Okay so I have the next part written but I don't really like it, so if y'all wanna let me know what you all want from the Taylor/Wash confrontation please do! Oh, and REVIEW. Next part should be up in the next couple of days. Happy Turkey Day y'all!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: HUGE shout out to my awesome friend, SweetJoJo who helped keep me in check with this chapter. Still not 100% happy with it, but at this point I'm just gonna post it and run :)**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Terra Nova, all that jazz. Trust me, Wash would be getting screen time if I owned TN...**

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><p>Nathaniel Taylor was a man comfortable being in a position of power.<p>

As a Cub Scout, he kept his troops on task and focused. As class president, he kept his high school open and funded.

As a commander, he did his damnedest to keep his men alive. And now, as the benevolent dictator of Terra Nova, he felt confident in his ability to keep the colony safe.

It was because of this comfort with power that Taylor found himself in an unusually maudlin mood, contemplating the events of the past few days with particular reflection on that night so many years ago.

At the time of the shooting, Taylor was adamant about his motives being completely in the right. He was protecting the colony. Protecting this new world from the cantankerous vultures of the future.

But now, looking back at the man who had turned his gun so quickly on his own son, Taylor couldn't help but question the man he had been-the man he was.

Did he kill that man to maintain peace and safety in Terra Nova? Free of the fat cats determined to ruin the new world? A truly benevolent motive.

Or did he kill because he had become too comfortable with power? Did he kill to keep his position in charge?

It was then, nursing a scotch and having a horribly uncharacteristic reflective moment, that a knock sounded at the door. Taylor mentally groaned, having both anticipated and dreaded her arrival.

Only she would know where to find him at this hour.

Setting aside his scotch and thoughts, Taylor put on the Commander face. He couldn't let her see him this emotional, this weak.

"Come on in, Washington."

At his command, a fiercely determined Alicia Washington strolled into his office.

"Sir."

The simple greeting never failed to bring a small grin to his face. Sometimes, routine was as comforting as anything.

"What can I do for you tonight, Lieutenant?"

Wash bit her lip, a habit she never could break (and a habit he secretly adored), before speaking.

"Sir, I was wondering if we could talk about these rumors flying around the colony. I've tried to squash Shannon's investigation, but he's stubborn. He thinks he has these answers, but I felt that if you could fill me in with what you've told him, I can back your story up more effectively."

She didn't comment on the fact that she would lie for him anyway, even without knowing the true story. She was nothing if not loyal.

Taylor looked on at this flushed lieutenant. He stood up and came around to lean on the front of his desk, facing her, putting less than a foot of space between the pair.

Taylor grinned as he saw his lieutenant shift and step back.

"Why, Wash, I'd never take you for a sneaky interrogator. Always thought you'd be one for more blunt and straightforward tactics."

Wash furrowed her brow.

"Sir?"

"You know, just thought you'd be more brazen than sneaky. Trying to be sly and get an answer out of me under false pretenses, instead of just asking me straight out."

The commander leaned back and enjoyed the look of utter confusion and bewilderment on his lieutenant's face.

Finally, Taylor took pity on her.

"Wash, if you want to know if the rumors are true, then ask me. Don't beat around the bush, it doesn't suit you."

Gone was the look of confusion, in its place was one of utter focus and determination. Ah, there's the Wash I know.

"Well, sir, just thought I wouldn't have to ask. If they were true, you would have told me, right, sir? I mean, I've only been by your side for the past ten years."

Her eyes were narrowed dangerously, daring her commander to comment on her assessment of the facts.

For his part, Nathaniel seemed to understand her ire. Clearing his throat, he took a step forward and chose his words carefully, expecting this conversation, though perhaps not so soon.

"Wash, you should know what happened that night. You deserve to know."

He was interrupted by Wash's scoff.

"All due respect sir, but if I deserved to know, you should have told me the night it happened, or the following week, hell even a year later. I shouldn't have had to hear it from Shannon of all people. He knew more about your past and he's only been here a few months."

Wash hated snapping at the commander, but dammit, in the last few weeks, it seemed more and more like Taylor favored Shannon to help with protecting the colony than she did.

She would be damned if she was called a puppy around the colony, the lowly lieutenant who did as she was told and jumped at the chance to please the commander.

Damn if she didn't feel jealous. She hated being jealous. Especially over Shannon.

"Wash, I didn't tell you because...because I didn't want to put you in a position to have to cover for me, to lie for me."

It sounded pathetic, even to his ears.

"Bullshit, sir."

Taylor raised an eyebrow at her language. She continued on.

"I've covered your six ever since you brought me onto your team. I've done more for you than I have for anybody else. You know I would have lied for you, covered for you, if need be."

Wash knew she was in dangerous territory. Though she and Taylor undoubtedly had a more relaxed relationship than most members of the military-a type of familiarity-she was still his subordinate and thus bound by military codes of respect.

At this point, though, she was too hurt and determined. She needed answers from him. She deserved answers, that much he had right.

Taylor really should not have been surprised. Wash always had the uncanny ability to see through his bullshit.

It was just rare she ever called him on it. She was always willing to trust his judgement and motives. It seemed as though she was finally not willing to do so tonight.

"Wash. You know I trust you with my life," he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. She tense, then relaxed at the unusual gesture of comfort. They were never ones for physical comfort. It was enough for them to simply be in each other's presence.

For now it was enough, but lately both had felt their relationship moving into something new. Something that had been brewing for years now.

Taylor continued, "I didn't tell you because I was ashamed. I am the protector of this colony. I believe I was in the right. But at the time, I felt like a completely different man then. I was a man who had turned his own gun on my son. My son. That man wasn't me.

"I lost control that night. If I told you what happened, I didn't want to see you look at me different. Wary of my temper. What if I did lose it? What if I turned my gun on you?"

Taylor swallowed and moved the hand on her shoulder, tentatively, to cup Alicia's face in an uncharacteristically tender gesture.

"I feel like I need to be strong for you, Alicia. You are all I have left. You have been so loyal to me. You've put so much faith into me. You've been my second for ten years, my friend for 10 years. I didn't want to be less of a commander in your eyes. Less of a man."

Wash's entire demeanor softened at Taylor's emotional confession. Not normally one for words, it was something special to hear Taylor speak of his feelings.

Enjoying the warmth of his hand, Wash leaned into it, composing a reply.

"Commander. Nathaniel. I've followed you into battle countless times. I've patched you up. I followed you here, to the unknown. I've seen you kill."

She paused, ready to admit what she had known for years.

"I'm not sure anything you could do will change the way I feel about you. That sort of scares me. I've never felt like this before. But, Nathaniel, you don't have to be strong for me. You just have to be here with me. Just like I will always be there for you."

The tension between the two of them had finally come to a head.

Taylor swallowed past the sudden lump of emotion in his throat and took a step forward, closing the remaining gap between them.

The hand on her face stroked her smooth cheek.

"Alicia...you know we can't."

He had never sounded so remorseful.

"I know. For the good of the colony, right?"

Her eyes dropped from his mesmerizing blues to focus on his chest. Taylor brought her eyes back to meet his.

She needed to see the honesty and sincerity shining there.

"Alicia, this may not happen now or even in a few years. But this is real for me. I promise to never keep anything from you ever again. We're partners in this. You and me."

Wash smiled, the first in the last few days.

"Good. And maybe after we secure this colony and finish off the Sixers, together mind you, we can revisit this?"

They shared a small, hopeful grin.

"It's a date."

With a final lingering look, Taylor took a step back, withdrawing his hand from the warmth of her face.

"See you for morning patrol tomorrow?"

Wash smiled again, it felt good to smile around him.

"It's a date, sir."

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><p><strong>AN2: Okay. Running away now because I'm ashamed of the shameless fluff that popped up out of no where. PLEASE REVIEW.**


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